Springfield Business Journal_2020-12-25

16 · SBJ.NET | Lexi Jackson DEC. 28, 2020-JAN. 3, 2021 1 Develop a healthy fear of the status quo. As a “zillennial” (mix of Generation Z and millennial), I often sense a fear of change among professionals of older generations. Indeed, keeping up with all the technological, social, economic and structural changes over the past decade is no easy task. But I believe the fear is misdirected. Rather than fearing change, we should let our fear enable us to create change. Most actions are rooted in some sense of fear with the objective to create a measure of change. For instance, businesses make budget cuts out of a fear of bankruptcy with the hope to create profitability. Let your fears lead you to creating change instead of fearing it. See your organization as a mission, not a mold. COVID-19 has taught us that not all business models can endure disruption to the highest degree, but that does not mean those models are not strong. However, disruption like this will come again, and organizations must be prepared. While serving as an AmeriCorps volunteer, my placement partner realized their mission to provide equitable access to environmental education to students in St. Louis was far more important than the classroom teaching model through which they delivered their lessons. As such, we moved to a remote learning model where we created self-directed learning kits with instructions and materials for students to complete at home. 5 Find what makes your null hypothesis true. We set natural limitations when we accept the status quo as unchangeable. If we started turning reality on its head by stating the opposite instead of the obvious, we could foster exponential innovation. For example, most restaurants are bound to think customers order food for their staff to prepare. What if we created a restaurant where customers prepare their own food from the ingredients and recipes a restaurant provides? 2 Break the pattern, not the bank. Many organizations apply the same approach to leadership across all departments, personnel, customers, services, etc., and are left dumbfounded when their trusted approach fails to produce positive results in a particular area. Leadership is only as strong as the effective participation of followers. If each department, employee or customer requires a tailored approach to leadership to effectively participate, it is a cost an organization must be willing to absorb, at least to the extent to which it is still more lucrative than the loss of that person, product line, etc. 43 Creativity can be taught. Creativity is one of the most sought-after skills today. Thankfully, it is something we can teach our brains to do. An easy creativity exercise is to meditate for three minutes on a time you were confronted with a new culture, idea or people group – maybe an experience living or visiting abroad. Research shows that reflecting on a time when you encountered new experiences will activate the parts of your brain responsible for making associations and exploring new patterns. This physically primes your brain to think more creatively and limitlessly. STRUCTURE D O N E R I G H T . 4 1 7 . 8 6 6 . 6 6 6 4 m i l l e r s t ru c t u re s . c o m • STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING Design of residential and commercial buildings including an extensive range of business categories. • FORENSIC ENGINEERING Problem solving for and identifying the cause of performance failures. • BUILDING ENCLOSURE Providing whole building enclosure design for new and existing structures to increase durability, energy efficiency, and occupant comfort. We are proud to be part of YOUR team, producing accurate, quality documents. 417.875.6000 • protelsystems.com • 2929 N Eastgate Ave. Springfield, MO Thermal Camera: This artificial-intelligence based system screens individuals with fevers as they enter your business and provides notification by alarm or email.